Information Brochure on Digital LegaciesWhat Happens to Our Data After We Pass Away?

As in previous editions, the brochure explains how to manage your online data and what precautions can be helpful. It is now being published with revised and expanded content in a new design.

Digital Footprint

Our world is becoming increasingly digital, and we’re using more and more online services: social media profiles, email accounts, cloud data, streaming subscriptions, and crypto wallets. Through all of these, we leave a digital footprint on the internet. Few people give much thought to what should happen to their online accounts, data in the cloud, and subscriptions after they die. This can place a heavy burden on their loved ones. Costs can quickly add up due to paid subscriptions. Finding the deceased person’s accounts can also be difficult, especially if they weren’t created under their real name or with a known email address. Relatives then also have to decide what should happen to the various profiles and data. Would the person have wanted to keep them, or would they have preferred that everything be deleted?

To prevent such difficulties and to be able to decide for yourself what should happen to your own data, you should document your wishes. “Documentation is the most important step in digital estate planning. It helps you keep track of your own online activities and spares your loved ones a great deal of stress and uncertainty in the event of an emergency,” says Stefan Ebenberger, ISPA Secretary General.

You can find detailed information on planning ahead and what surviving family members can do if the deceased did not make any arrangements in the ISPA brochure “Digital Estate.” ISPA is part of the Saferinternet.at project, which is funded by the BMWKMS and the EU. As part of the Saferinternet.at project, informational materials on current topics are produced on an ongoing basis. The new brochure can be downloaded for free or ordered as a printed copy.